Honorary Life Member: Bob Easson
EAFC President Simon Burns presenting Bob Easson with his Honorary Life Membership Quaich
The Edinburgh Academical Football Club (EAFC) is delighted to announce that, at the Club’s AGM on 24th August 2022, former Head Coach, Director of Rugby and President, Bob Easson, was made an Honorary Life Member of the Club.
A PE teacher by profession, Bob first joined EAFC in 1989 as Head Coach and led the Club’s coaching team for 9 years. During this period, he coached and mentored many current and future stars of the game, including District players, Scotland internationalists and even the odd British & Irish Lion! He also coached the North & Midlands District team which included many Accies, including current Club President, Simon Burns.
Bob has coached, mentored, and inspired generations of players, coaches, support staff and administrators who are either still at Accies or have moved on to have successful careers at other clubs across the world. All will have learnt something along the way from Bob’s professionalism, knowledge and expertise - always conveyed in a calm, thoughtful and even-handed manner.
1995-96 SRU Tennent’s Bowl Winners
1st XV 1996-97
After his first stint as Head Coach, Bob left the Club to embark on his own journey in professional sport, joining Edinburgh Rugby as Head Coach and, thereafter, working in many high-performance roles in the front-line of elite sport in Scotland, including his final role as High Performance Manager at sportscotland Institute of Sport. In 2018, Bob was named ‘sportscotland Coach Developer of the Year’, winning praise from Stewart Harris, sportscotland CEO, who said:
Sport Scotland Coach Developer of the Year 2018
“Bob has given so much to all the sports he has worked in, the clubs and of course the players and coaches he has guided over the years. This award is truly fitting for a lifetime of hard work and dedication.”
In 2011, Bob returned to Raeburn Place as Director of Rugby, where he oversaw an era of change for the Club, and Scottish rugby in general, with his usual levelheaded and common sensical approach. He was instrumental in bringing Simon Cross, a recently retired captain of Edinburgh Rugby, to Raeburn Place as Head Coach. He was also largely responsible for developing what became a ‘conveyor belt’ of rugby talent which included future British & Irish Lions like Hamish Watson, Scotland 7s captain, Jamie Farndale, and many others who went on to have successful careers in professional rugby. However, Bob wasn’t just interested in the ‘big names’, he was equally passionate about ensuring that the Club retain a core group of committed amateur players and coaches to take the Club forward and be the best it can be. I think it’s safe to say that ethos continues today with the Club thriving with all 3 teams at the time of writing – the 1st XV, 2nd XV and 3rd XV (aka ‘The Entertainers) - in the top 3 of their respective leagues.
Toward the end of his tenure as Director of Rugby and indeed President, Bob successfully led the Club through the first complete rugby shutdown since World War II, due to the coronavirus. He always kept everyone’s spirits high, despite (unbelievably) having no clubhouse for a season, as we awaited the completion of our new clubhouse by the Raeburn Place Foundation.
Bob stepped down from his role as President last season, but he is still keenly involved in the rugby side of things at Accies – you just can’t keep a good man down!
Honorary Life Membership of EAFC is a prestigious honour, reserved for only a select few. Indeed, there are only eight other Honorary Life Members – David Sole OBE, Jake Young, David McIvor, Jeremy Richardson, Finlay Calder OBE, Dan Teague, John Wright and Greg Campbell. Bob certainly deserves his place amongst these legends of the game.
Bob champions Accies around the world and he encompasses everything we think of when we think about Accies. It is no coincidence that most of those currently on the EAFC Board came through Accies while Bob was at the helm.
Congratulations Bob from all your friends at Raeburn Place!